Left: The little pump-house, with its lovely twiddly
gothic ironwork, next to a stone basin beside it, which was once used
a sheep wash (see "Ruskin's Spring"). Right: The inscription on its
side: "HE SENDETH SPRINGS / INTO THE VALLEYS / WHICH RUN AMONG / THE
HILLS / OH THAT MEN WOULD / PRAISE THE LORD / FOR HIS GOODNESS"

Ruskin's Spring and Fountain,
Fulking, Sussex. Arthur Mee described Fulking as "one of the
charming little dells in Sussex by the sea, where nothing seems to
have happened except that John Ruskin used to love to see the sunsets
here and helped people to solve the problem of how to get water"
(170). Apparently, knowing of his visits to the place, the villagers
had solicited his advice: "The request was a strange one, but Ruskin
began to think what could be done, and in the end devised a scheme
which has given Fulking as much water as it can ever hope to consume.
Works have of course been required, but they did not cost very much,
and they certainly do not disfigure the locality" (qtd. in Works, Vol. 34).

The escarpment above the village, where Ruskin must have
seen the sunsets. The view is from a path near the spring.

Left: Fountain, erected in about 1886 in honour of
Ruskin: "TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN HONOUR OF JOHN RUSKIN / PSALM
XXVIII / "That they might see their hope / in God / and not forget /
But keep his Commandments / who brought Streams also / out of the
Rock." Right: looking along the village road.

The villagers were so grateful that they erected a fountain to
Ruskin, as shown above. However, Ruskin does not seem to have enjoyed
the tribute. He wrote to tell his friend Henry Willett in Brighton
that the inscription grieved him, "for it made my name far too
conspicuous, nor did I feel that the slightest honour was owing to me
in the matter" (qd. in Works 37). However,
it seems appropriate that he should be remembered for his contribution
to the village, and the structures that resulted add to the
attractions of this lovely spot on the edge of the South Downs. The
fountain is Grade II listed.

Photographs in the second row by Anthony McIntosh, and
available for reuse under the terms of this Creative Commons Licence. Many thanks! Captions,
commentary and remaining photographs by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use
these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational
purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your
document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. [Click on the
images to enlarge them.]